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Julianna Farrait: How Her Chinchilla Coat Led to Frank Lucas’ Downfall – Where Is Drug Kingpin’s Wife Now?

Julianna Farrait wasn’t just the wife of infamous drug trafficker Frank Lucas—she was his partner in crime.

From their young romance to the extravagant coat that led to their downfall, Julianna’s story is an interesting one.

Was she a loyal wife caught in the storm or an active player in the drug trade?

Who Is Julianna Farrait?

Julianna was born in 1941, making her 84 years old at the time of writing. She’s 11 years younger than her husband, but the age gap did nothing but bond them stronger.

julianna farrait frank lucas and their newborn daughter francine
Julianna Farrait, Frank Lucas, and their newborn daughter Francine

Image source: Instagram

While Lucas is American-born, Julianna is a native Puerto Rican. She met her drug trafficker of a husband on a flight from Puerto Rican to New York, and they went on to build a drug empire together.

The couple got married in 1967, and from then on, their life together was a rollercoaster.

Julianna Farrait and Frank Lucas

Before dying, Frank Lucas made sure to document his story in an autobiography, and of course, his wife was on every page of the book.

According to him, when he met her on a plane, he kept turning around to check her out. He found her smiling at him every time, so he went to her and started a conversation.

julianna farrait and frank lucas daughter is francine
Julianna Farrait and Frank Lucas’ daughter is Francine

Image source: Google

The couple got married in 1967 and gave birth to their only daughter, Francine, in 1985.

In Frank’s words, Julianna was a country girl with simple clothes and a basic look, so he did some work to make her fit in his world. Little did he know that extravagant clothing would be one of the causes of his downfall.

The Coat That Triggered Lucas’ Downfall

Frank Lucas had a huge ego, and it was one of the reasons for his downfall. In his autobiography, he says that he couldn’t stand someone trying to outdress him when he obviously had more money.

Apparently, Julianna thought the same, and to show everyone who’s the richest man around, she gifted her husband a $125,000 chinchilla coat with a $40,000 matching hat from Manhattan.

frank lucas wears a full-length chinchilla fur coat left is julianna farrait
Frank Lucas wears a full-length chinchilla fur coat, left is Julianna Farrait

Image source: Facebook

Being an attention seeker himself, Lucas wore the outfit on the first occasion he was attending—the 1971 fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden.

Lucas had hoped his outfit would make him stand out in the crowd, but instead, it caught the attention of the one group he hadn’t intended—the cops.

It’s widely believed that the expensive coat caught the eye of some detectives in the audience that night, and Lucas became on the police’s radar, which would later cause his downfall.

Julianna’s Downfall and Arrest

When her husband was arrested in the mid-70s, Julianna also faced legal troubles. Since she had an active role in the drug operations, she was convicted too and she served time in prison.

The family became informants and were placed in the Witness Protection Program for a while, and Lucas was released in 1991 before getting arrested once again in 2012.

julianna farrait and her son frank lucas jr. attended the frank lucas funeral
Julianna Farrait and her son Frank Lucas Jr. attended the Frank Lucas Funeral

Image source: Getty Images

Farrait and Lucas reportedly reconciled when they both got out of prison, but Lucas died in 2019 at the age of 88.


Featured image source: Google

Lauren A. Hartfield

Hi, I’m from New Jersey. I love gazing at the stars, and ever since my grandmother passed away, I’ve felt like she’s watching over me from the sky, whether I’m feeling joyful or down. These days, I enjoy capturing moments in writing, regardless of their nature, because I believe that every experience we go through has its purpose.

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